GETTING IT DONE: Derek Jeter is batting an AL-high .379 against lefties this season. That’s sixth-best in the Majors. He also has a .360 (114-for-317) road batting average, second in Majors behind Melky Cabrera (.367). Jeter is batting .394 (50-for-127) with five homers when leading off the game in the first.

WIN ONE, LOSE ONE: The Yankees have played 25 games since August 15 without winning consecutive games. That?marks their longest such stretch since a 31-game stretch from in 1991. They went 9-22 over that stretch.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: The Yankees have been in first place — either tied or alone — every day since the start of play on June 12. They have won three of their last six games, but they have lost eight of their last 12 and 13 of their last 20 since August 20.

UPDATE, 7:49 p.m.: Phelps looks sharp through two scoreless. But once again, this team needs to score some runs.

UPDATE, 8:00 p.m.: Eric Chavez leads off with his 300th career double … and is quickly left stranded.

UPDATE, 8:11 p.m.: Cano now has 30 homers, which is a single-season career high. He and Granderson have each gone deep this inning, good for a 3-0 Yankees lead in the fourth.

UPDATE, 8:41 p.m.: That’s just a terrific play by Iglesias to end the fifth inning and probably save a run. Impressive. But it’s a 3-1 Yankees lead.

UPDATE, 8:52 p.m.: Wow, a rare show of emotion from Phelps as he strikes out Iglesias to leave the leadoff triple stranded in the fifth. Usually the only emotion we see from him is when he does something bad and he screams into his glove. But he looks really sharp today. Not a single out hit into the outfield so far. It’s still a 3-1 Yankees lead.

UPDATE, 9:03 p.m.: Seems like Nix has done a good job handling the bat this year, but he couldn’t get the bunt down here in the sixth and wound up striking out. Now Jones is pinch hitting for Chavez.

UPDATE, 9:25 p.m.: Line drive to first base does the trick for Rapada and the Yankees are out of the sixth inning, still holding that 3-1 lead. Phelps lasted 5.2 innings, and looked good doing it.

UPDATE, 9:32 p.m.: Granderson’s second homer of the night pushes the lead to 5-1.

UPDATE, 10:17 p.m.: Jeter’s been playing with a bad ankle, and now he’s out of the game after apparently hurting it further while trying to beat out a double play in the eighth.